Lomé hosted a pivotal two-day summit on June 7-8, 2026, bringing together regional mediators to address the escalating crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Representatives from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), East African Community (EAC), and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) joined forces with delegates from the African Union (AU) and United Nations (UN). The gathering aimed to harmonize diplomatic efforts and assess the persistent gap between warring factions and a sustainable resolution.
Togo emerges as key mediator in fragmented peace talks
The selection of Lomé as the host city was deliberate. Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé, serving as the AU’s facilitator for the Congolese dossier, has spent months consolidating disparate mediation tracks that have proliferated without converging. The Nairobi process, spearheaded by the EAC, and the Luanda initiative, driven by the AU under former Angolan President João Lourenço, have advanced in parallel with limited synergy. While efforts to merge these tracks began in 2024, tangible progress on the ground remains elusive.
Diplomats in Lomé acknowledged that coordination remains the Achilles’ heel of the peace endeavor. Multiple delegates emphasized streamlining dialogue channels to prevent conflicting factions from exploiting divisions among mediators. This fragmentation has historically benefited armed groups, particularly the March 23 Movement (M23), whose military advances in North and South Kivu have reshaped the region’s security landscape.
Tense timeline as Kinshasa, Kigali, and M23 navigate fragile agreements
Diplomatic gains discussed in Lomé fell short of expectations. Direct negotiations between Kinshasa and the M23—long rejected by Congolese authorities—commenced under mounting pressure from regional mediators and international stakeholders. Meanwhile, the bilateral dynamic between the DRC and Rwanda, widely accused by UN reports and Western capitals of backing the rebel faction, remains the thorniest obstacle to resolution.
Mediators reiterated that implementation of prior commitments, including the withdrawal of foreign forces from Congolese soil and the disarmament of armed groups, has lagged dangerously. The deployment of the SADC’s mission in DRC (SAMIDRC), which suffered heavy casualties in early 2025, underscored the limitations of regional military responses to a conflict fueled by economic, land, and identity-driven grievances.
War economy deepens crisis, demanding urgent regional action
Beyond political dimensions, participants highlighted the critical need to disrupt illicit mineral exploitation networks in Kivu. Coltan, tin, gold, and tungsten feed a war economy with tentacles stretching into global supply chains. Several mediators advocated for a regional traceability mechanism, deeming it essential for any lasting de-escalation.
The Lomé meetings yielded no groundbreaking announcements but reaffirmed the principle of an integrated approach. Future steps must more closely involve Congolese civil society, historically sidelined in state-centric processes. North and South Kivu’s civil society organizations and customary authorities are now recognized as vital partners to ground any potential agreement in local realities.
Mediators departed Lomé without a firm timeline for a comprehensive accord. The coming weeks will reveal whether the diplomatic momentum sparked in Togo can shift the trajectory of a conflict that has defied regional peace architectures for over three decades.
